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Postgame Reaction: Game 5 at Vancouver

by
Hannah Becker
/ Boston Bruins

BostonBruins.com – Roberto Luongo bounced back from two poor showings in Boston to blank the Bruins en route to the Canucks 1-0 victory in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. Vancouver now leads the series 3-2.

Seguin tries to get a shot past Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, left to right, as Sami Salo, of Finland and Maxim Lapierre try to clear the net during the first period of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup hockey final in Vancouver, Friday, June 10, 2011. The Canucks went on to win the game 1-0 and lead the series 3-1. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Bruce Bennett, POOL)

“I think a lot of the things you saw tonight are a lot of the things you saw the first two games,” Bruins head coach Claude Julien said of the affair.

“Good effort, not good enough.”

Tim Thomas made 25 saves, but Canuck forward Max Lapierre was able to net the lone goal at the 4:35 mark in the third period.

“You make your own breaks and I think tonight, as a whole, they were the better team. And we have to again, acknowledge that and because if we don’t we are not going to be a better team next game,” said Julien.

The game was close throughout the entire night, with both goaltenders putting up show-stopping performances. Boston actually outshot Vancouver 31-25, but weren’t able to find the back of the net behind Luongo.

The game featured fast paced action with end-to-end skating and odd-man rushes from both teams. The squads were very physical right from the opening puck drop. The Canucks outhit the Bruins 47-27, but paid for some of their physicality early.

Vancouver took four minor penalties in the first period, resulting in three power plays for Boston. But the B’s man-advantage was dismal at best. Boston had a hard time gaining the Vancouver line as the Canucks penalty came up big, keeping the Bruins off the board early.

“We didn’t score we had some chances. Some much better chances than we did tonight. Tonight was certainly not a good night for the power play. It wasn’t a good night for our whole team as far as creating some real good quality scoring chances,” said Julien.

The tides turned a bit in the second, as Vancouver had their second and third power play opportunities, but Boston’s penalty kill continued to play efficiently. While the B’s didn’t manage a shorthanded goal tonight, they were able to keep the Canucks potent power play from netting any goals.

But in the end it was Lapierre who was the hero for Vancouver with his second goal of the postseason.

The teams will travel back to Boston for Game 6 on Monday. Neither team has been able to win on the road, but the Canucks will try to do just that as they hope to hoist the Cup for the first time in their history. The Bruins will hope to keep the trend alive as they fight for their lives trying to force a Game 7.

“The two teams that are here are good teams and they don’t give home ice advantage away that easily. So they’ve been good in their own building. I think we’ve been a decent road team for most of the season,” Julien said.

“And right now what we have to do is go back home and create a game seven so we get another shot at them here. “